Control apparatus



CONTROL APPARATUS Filed April 15, 1926 W|TNESSES INVENTOR 0 0 I 5656007 U HUS/ll? ATTORNEY Patented Mar; 19, 1929.

e UNITED STA TENS-PATENT OFFICE.

mom 0. aus'r'nr or ms'r rrr'rsnunorr, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB 'ro was-rura- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTUBING COMPANY, A CORPORATION VANIA. 7

CONTROL Arrmutrs'.

OI PENNSYL- Application filed April 15, 1926. Serial No. 102,202.

This invention relates generallyto control apparatus and more particularly to contact lingers provided with arc-rupturmg devices.

The object 'of' the invention, generally,

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly 1S disclosed in the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a more completennderstanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a controller provided with contact fingers constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2is a perspective view of a portion ofthe contact finger showing the pole pieces formed integral therewith.

Referring now to the drawing, 10 indicates generally a controller of a well-known type provided with a shaft 11 which carries a spider 12 on which a plurality'of contact members 13 are mounted. As will be readily understood, the shaft 11 may be rotatably mounted so that the contact members 13 may be moved forward step-b -step, as desired.

Standards 14 are provided for supporting a plul'alityof contact fingers, such as shown generally at 15. In order to attach the contact fingers to the standards, two piece brackets 16, which may be clamped in any desired position onthe'standards, are provided. In this particular construction, the brackets are insulated from the standardsby-insulating sleeves 17. As shown these sleeves complete- 1 y enclose the standards 14.

The particular contact finger 15 illustrated is substantially similar to the onedisclosed 1n the copendlng application of Edward E. Rose, Serial No. 70,535 fild November 21,

1925 and assigned to the \Vestinghonse Electric & Manufacturing Company. While this type ofv finger lendsitself to the'const-rnction of a unit embodying a contact member 1 and an arc-rupturing device, it will be readily understood thatthis invention might be applied to manyother types of contact finger and contact membersl As shown in the drawing, the contactfin- 1 gcr 15 comprises a base 18 which is substantially L-shaped, thereby providingan' arm for attachment to a bracket 16 and an arm for supporting azcontact-member.- The base 18 may be attached tothc bracket in any suit: able manner, such as by the provision of a screw bolt 20 which projects through an opening 19 provided in the bracket arm and enages in a threaded opening provided in the racket. I

Movablymounted on the arm of the base 18 which will be designated 21, is a contact carrier 22. As set forth in the application above referred to, thecontact carrier is disposed for movement in all directions and .is retained in a predetermined position by means of a'spring 23 mounted on a'post 24 carried by thearm 21 of the base.

A contact member 25 is attached to the.

outer end of the contact carrier 22 by means of a rivet 26; As illustrated, the contact .member 25 is connected to a flexible conductor 27 which extends back along the arm 21 and the bracket arm and is clamped in position by the screw bolt 20. This conductor permits the contact carrier 22 to be moved freely.

In order to concentrate the lines'of magnetic force induced by current flowing in the conductor 27, two pole pieces 28 and 29 are formed integral with the arm 21 and disposed to extend on opposite sides of the contact member 22. While in this embodiment of the invention the contact members are formed thus form a channel througlrwhich the conductor 27 extends.

In order to confine an arc drawn-between the contact member 25 and one of the contact members 13 to a predetermined path,'an arc chute 30 is attached to the pole pieces 28 and 29.- The are chute may be of any suitable material, such. as asbestos board, and is'attached to the pole pieces by means of rivets, as shown at 31.

In operation, when current flows in the conductor 27, it develops a magnetic-field. This magnetic field is concentrated by means of the arm-21 which is'of magnetizable ma- -teria'l and flows into'the. pole pieces 28 and 29. In completing the magnetic circuit, the lines of niagnetic 'force pass from one pole piece toanother, thus roviding anarc-rupturing field in which t e'contact member 25 is disposed.

Assume that one of the contact members 13 is moved out of engagement with the contact member 25 when current is flowing in the conductor 27. This will result in an are being drawn between the contact finger 13 and the contact member 25. The magnetic field between the pole pieces immediately acts upon thearc and in the usual manner effects a speedy disruption, thereby protecting the contact members. Duringthe disruption process, the arc is confined within the'arc'chute 30, thereby protectingthe op-' eratingmembers of the mechanism provided for actuating the contact members 13 and other parts ofthe device.

Sincecertain changes may be made in the foregoin contruction and difierent embodiments 0 the invention may be made without departing from, the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or .shown' in the accompanying drawing shall be interpretive as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

--I claim as my invention: i 1. A contact-finger comprising, in combination, a base, a contact member movably mounted on the base, extensions forind on the base and disposed to extend on op osite sides of the contact member to provide pole iecesto concentrate lines of magnetic force mduc'ed by current'flowing in the contact arc-rupturing. field.

3. A contact finger'comprising, in combi- .fieldj 2. A contactfinger comprising,- in combinati'on,,a base, a contact finger movably,

mounted on the base, a flexible conductor I carried bythe base and connected with the contact member, pole. pieces formed integral with thebase and extending on oppo'site,

sides of the contact member, said base and pole pieces forming a channel through which said conductor extends thereb 7 to concentrate lines of magnetic force in uced by current flowing in the conductor to provide an nation, a. base adapted to be mounted on a support, a contact finger movably mounted on the base, pole pieces formed integral with the base and extending on opposite sides of the contact member, an arc chute carried by the pole piecesand a conductor extending through the channel formed by the base and pole piece andconnccted with the contact member thereby to utilize the base and pole pieces to concentrate lines of magnetic force induced by current flowing in the conductor.

4. A contact finger comprising, in combination, a base, a contact member pivotally mounted on the base, said contact member extending beyond the base, polepieces formed integral with the base, said pole pieces extending on the opposite sides of the contact member to concentrate lines of magnetic force induced by current flowing in the contact member to provide an arc rupturing field enveloping the contact member;

- contact member. thercbyto provide an arc-,

rupturing field, said arc-rupturing field'be ing located to envelope the path of the movabl contact member.

In testimony whereof, I" have hereunto.

subscribed my name this 10th day of April 1926. i i u nasoUM 0. AUSTIN. 

